A Black Potter
by Oh-look-a-quarter
Summary: Full Summary inside. How does one survive Hogwarts as the cousin of both Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, while maintaining superior powers and being fought over by both sides of the war? Ask Vanessa Potter. One girl, one amazing story.
1. Meet Vanessa

**AN(I know, I hate these too!): So, this is a Harry Potter fanfic that has been sitting unfinished in my journal for about 2 years now, so I figured, why not give it a shot? There will be a few characters added(of course), including, but not limited to, a new Black sister, and the younger brother of James Potter, and Harry will be 2 when he defeats Voldemort. Sirius Black will NOT be going to Azkaban(at least not for Peter- related purposes), specifically so I can mess with the Malfoys. I also edited the time periods a bit, so that I will know what I'm talking about:D It is un-beta'd, so be warned!**

**Summary: Vanessa Potter...No, not Harry Potter's sister, but his cousin. She is the daughter of Jeremy and Sagitta Potter. But being the cousin to both Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy is NOT easy. Add to that special powers, and the Dark Lord being after you, and how is a girl supposed to have a normal year at Hogwarts?**

**PS: This seems like the same chapter, but I changed one thing about Vanessa's appearance…I liked it this way more:D**

**Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I do not own Harry Potter, or any characters who you recognize. I only own Jeremy, Sagitta, Vanessa, and a few other persons here and there. And my plot line of course:D**

_Malfoy Manor, Front Sitting Room, December 20th, 1993_

Narcissa looked down at the sleeping infant cradled in her arms. Her sister Bellatrix had just recently told her of the sad news. The youngest of the Black sisters, Sagitta, had died during a duel. When Narcissa had apprated to her baby sisters home to confirm the news, she had been amazed at what she had found. A baby girl lay in a white crib, and bore a striking resemblance to her sister. The child was definitely a Black. She had silky curls that hung to her chin, but instead of pitch black, like most of the family, platinum blonde like Narcissa, or even the chestnut brown of Gita(**pronounced gee-tah**) and Dromeda, the baby's curls were chocolate brown, with small flecks of copper when Narcissa found her!

She had strange eyes. They intrigued Narcissa, and irritated her, because she knew she had seen them before, but she couldn't place them. These were not the eyes of a member of the ancient house of Black. Her eyes were a beautiful, deep blue. She reached for the baby's birth certificate, which she had grabbed from the study of her sister's home before taking the baby.

It read:

***~***Certificate of Birth***~***

_Name: Vanessa Elizabeth Potter_

_Born: Monday September 12, 1993 5:32 pm_

_Mother: Sagitta Rowena Black-Potter_

_Father: Jeremy Matthew Potter_

She couldn't believe it: her sister had actually married James Potter's younger brother. That explained the child's eyes. Narcissa had been at school at the same time as Jeremy Potter. She also knew he and her sister had been together, but when Narcissa had married Lucius, Gita had cut all ties with her.

Narcissa heard the front door open, and saw her husband walk in with their tow-headed son in his arms, trailed by her brother-in-law, Rudolphus. Lucius handed his and Draco's cloaks to Trippy, one of the house-elfs, and put down his son. Narcissa held the little girl closer to her and brushed one of the long ringlets out of the baby's cherubic face. She sat in a large arm chair near the fireplace, watching her husband and son advance towards her, with Rudolphus still lagging behind. Both Lucius and Rudolphus stopped dead in their tracks, however, when they noticed what was in Narcissa's arms.

_Oh boy,_ Narcissa thought, _here it comes._

"Narcissa, may I ask why you are holding a child I have never seen before. When I left this morning, we had one child who left with me" Lucius stated, resuming his strides toward his wife. When he was directly in front of her, she shifted the child towards him, and told him the story Bellatrix had relayed to her that very morning.

When she finished, she noticed that the baby's hair was now the same light blonde as Lucius'. As he started to respond, Narcissa held up a finger, strode past a still dumb-struck Rudolphus, and picked up the pile of papers still on the couch. She noticed that there was a second paper attached to the birth certificate. It read:

***~***Registration of Above Average Power***~***

_Name: Vanessa Elizabeth Potter_

_Powers Exceeding Code CEE12 for Average Birth Magic:_

_Metamorphagi, Possible Animagus_

_Healer Signature: __Healer Jones_

That explained it: her little niece was a metamorphagi. This was good, very good. She would be very powerful, although how they new she was potentially an animagus confused Narcissa. Lucius came over to see what had distracted his wife. He was still slightly in shock. His eyes went as round as saucers when he saw who the child's father was.

"She _is_ the child of your sister and the only Potter that wasn't a complete blood traitor" he stated, seemingly surprised that Bella had told the truth.

Narcissa turned in time for him to see the baby, who's focus had turned from Lucius to Rudolphus, change her hair from blonde to black. He reached for the child and took her from his wife. He looked down, and found himself inexplicably drawn to her eyes. Instantaneously her felt a bond with the little girl.

"We shall raise her" He told his wife, who smiled at his decree.

Rudolphus looked alarmed a this statement.

"Lucius, are you sure that that is such a good idea? The Dark Lord has just started to take control, and you want to bring a Potter into your family? You know he is looking for the Potter boy, this little ones cousin!"

"Rudolphus, this child holds great power. She will be useful to the Dark Lord when she is older" Lucius responded, sitting in the arm chair Narcissa had vacated.

Draco, who up until this point had been sitting near the fire, watching his parents curiously, pulled himself up and toddled towards his father. Draco wasn't usually fond of other children. In fact, he usually showed the utmost disdain for children his own age. He looked at the baby and his response was astounding.

He gently put a hand on the baby's cheek and said "Pwetty", giving her a kiss on the nose.

"Well, it looks like the Malfoy men are in agreement then. I shall speak to the Dark Lord on the subject promptly."

_3 Hours later_

Lucius walked into his bedroom, noticing that his wife was dressed for bed and cuddling the child that they were to take in. The Dark Lord not only approved to the malfoys taking in the girl, indeed, he demanded it. He knew that not only would the girl make a useful follower one day, if moulded by the right people, but that she would also make for superb leverage to convince James Potter to come out of hiding.

Narcissa looked anxiously at her husband. She knew that she must do as the Dark Lord saw fit, but she really wished to keep the child. Lucius smiled.

He then told his wife the good news. They then put the baby to sleep, determining that they could simply replace her things, instead of going through the trouble of retrieving them, tomorrow.

**So, What do you guys think? I am going to post it no matter what, so I'm not going to give you the 'review or else' crap. Let me know what you think. And if anyone at any time has an idea for a cute character who can make a guest appearance send me a name, age, and description, and I'll see if I can find a way to tie them in...**

**Huggles!**

**Mel(Oh-Look-A-Quarter)**


	2. First Words and Unca James

**So, for those of you who are like me and like images that go along with a story, there is a link on my profile that is marked "character pictures" that will show you what the characters look like! As the story progresses, certain outfits, places, and more characters will be added. Oh, and btw, I know it seems like everyone is totally way obsessed with Vanessa, but there is a reason, and it will be revealed soon. **

**I will also be adding random outtakes as the fancy suits me:D**

**So, onward!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Never will own.**

1 year later, October 24, 1994 Malfoy Manor

Narcissa watched as her son played with his cousin, her niece. He had returned from spending 2 weeks with his Grandparents, Abraxs and Eleanor, 2 days before, and had hardly let "Nessa", as he was prone to calling her, out of his sight. Vanessa, who had yet to speak, which worried Narcissa, simply smiled in acknowledgement anytime someone spoke her name. Narcissa was happy that her attention-loving son had taken so well to his younger cousin.

Even though initially Draco had liked Vanessa, when he realized how much attention she was getting, he wasn't pleased. However, about 2 months after Vanessa had come to live with the Malfoys, Draco's curiosity had gotten the best of him. His mother had left the room for a moment to greet Bellatrix, and had come back to find that Draco had settled himself with his younger cousin in his lap. Even Bella herself had thought it adorable. Since then, Draco did not like to be far from his cousin.

Narcissa was amazed at how truly gifted Vanessa was. Even at a year old, she showed a great amount of control over her metamorph powers, usually preferring to look like those around her. Usually, that meant either black or blonde curls, as Lucius and Narcissa had been careful to limit Vanessa's interaction with others as much as possible.

Lucius walked in the room, with Rudolphus trailing behind him. He kissed Narcissa on the cheek, and smiled at his son and niece.

"Has Bella arrived yet?" Narcissa asked her husband.

"Not yet," he answered, "She said she had to stop by your aunt's house to retrieve something or other."

Narcissa pondered what Bellatrix could possibly want or need from Grimmauld Place, but quickly dismissed the thought, for Vanessa had chosen that moment to anger her cousin by toddling over towards her uncle. Draco did not like it when his cousin's attention wandered from himself.

Vanessa tugged twice on Lucius' pant leg, trying to gain his attention from his current conversation with Rudolphus. At first she had little success, but that wouldn't deter her. Draco, who had walked over after her, was pulling on the back of her white and blue dress, trying to draw her back to the toys. Vanessa, however, was more interested in gaining Lucius' attention. She again tugged on his pants, and looked rather put out when he refused to respond.

"Unca. Unca, 'p" she said, sounding frustrated. Narcissa froze in shock.

She had spoken.

Vanessa looked around, looking irritated, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Lucius looked down and smiled at the little girl, whose curls had gained a slight reddish tint in her brief spout of anger. She smiled at him, and he picked her up.

"So you finally decided to voice your opinion, huh little one?" Lucius asked. Everyone had seen the change in him since the little girl had come to live with the Malfoy family. In fact, most people felt it difficult to feel anything but adoration for this little girl, yet no one knew why.

Vanessa giggled and turned towards Narcissa.

"Anny Cissa" she giggled.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say she was practicing behind our backs this entire time" laughed Narcissa.

Bellatrix strode in the room, her black cloak swishing behind her. She walked over to her sister and hugged her.

"Hello Cissy. Lucius" she said, sneering that last word.

"Anny Bewa" Vanessa giggled.

"Well look who has decided it's time to speak" Bella laughed.

Draco, never one to be out done, walked over to Bella and hugged her legs.

"Hewo Aunt Bewa" He said sweetly.

"Hello little Dragon. Now, the important part. I have presents" She smiled. Draco, who already loved presents, started cheering, however, Vanessa, who still was a bit young to understand presents, merely contented herself to play with Lucius' hair as he spoke with Rudolphus.

Bella handed Draco a toy dragon from the toy store in Diagon Alley, Bashwigs and Lapdinks. He was enthused, and ran back over to his and Vanessa's abandoned toy area by the fire. Bella then walked over and removed her niece from Lucius' arms. Vanessa was not pleased by this sudden change, and started to fuss until Bella dangled a shiny silver heart shaped locket in front of her. Vanessa, distracted by the object, forgot to be upset and reached for the necklace.

Bellatrix smiled and slipped the chain on over the child's head. The child, intrigued by the object, fiddled with it and quieted.

"Is that why you had to stop by and see Aunt Wilburga?" Narcissa asked her older sister, as Bella placed Vanessa on the floor, prompting her to return to Draco.

"Yes. I figured the child was entitled to a connection to the decent half of her heritage."

The two women turned to face the children by the fire.

Suddenly, there was a resounding **BOOM**. All conversation cut off, as Narcissa and Bellatrix ran to grab the children, and Lucius and Rudolphus ran out into the hallway to see what had happened. Just as the women reached the two children, two figures joined them in the sitting room.

"Hello cousins" Sirius said with a smug grin on his face.

Bella handed Draco to Narcissa.

"Cissy, get the children out. I'll take care of the dog" she sneered, pulling out her wand.

"I'm quite afraid we cannot allow that Mrs. LeStrange" said James potter, entering the room and joining the frenzy.

Narcissa attempted to leave the room as Bellatrix started to duel Sirius and James. However, her attempts were futile, as Remus Lupin entered the room and put a bodybind jinx upon her, scooping both children from her arms before she fell backwards.

Bella continued to duel both her cousin and Potter, until they were finally able to stun her.

James walked over to his niece, ignoring Draco, who had crawled over to his mother and was trying to figure out who these men were and why they were here. Vanessa looked at him, wondering if she had seen him before. Of course she had, but she had been to young to remember. He knelt down and looked at her face.

"Hello little one. I'm your Uncle James" he said to the smiling toddler. He stood up, pulling her up with him.

"Unca James!" she responded with enthusiasm.

Sirius walked over, observing the child of his favorite cousin.

"Wow Prongs. She really looks like Gita huh?" he said, taking in the sight of the pretty little girl.

"Yeah Padfoot. She does. But she had Jer's eyes." He noted with a smile. Vanessa grabbed his nose, giggling.

"Hey. Waddaya think you're doing little one?" he asked with mock indignation, causing her to giggle profusely.

"I think Harry's gonna like her Prongs" Sirius piped up.

"I think you might be right Padfoot. Let's find out!" James responded, moving to take the child to the hallway. Vanessa, who didn't understand what was going one, fussed a little.

"Anny Cissa" she said, squirming a little in the arms of her uncle.

"Who on earth is Annie Sissa?" Sirius asked James.

"I think she is asking for Narcissa, mate" replied James.

"Anny Cissa!" Vanessa demanded, looking truly distressed.

"Um..ugh…sweetie…um…your Aunty Cissa is sleeping" James struggled to hold on to the now squirming child.

"Anny Cissa sweepy?" she asked.

"Yes sweetheart. Now, let's go to my house!" he said with a smile, as not to alarm her.

"Go bye-bye?" she asked. James nodded and she Vanessa smiled. She pointed at Draco.

"Dakey come" she stated.

"The tike has a point mate," Sirius stated, "We can't leave Death Eater junior by himself."

"Sirius, that it what house elves are for" James responded.

"Good point. How long do we have until these ones come too?" he asked, pointing to Narcissa and Bellatrix.

"Oh, a while yet." James stated, scooping up his niece, and walking out of the house.


	3. Kittens and Birthdays

**Okay. Apologies first. I have had this ready for a while, fanfiction just wasn't letting me access my stories for some reason.**

**Point of clarification: Sirius is an Auror(ironic huh?)**

**Also featured: a few new oc's, and a few people whose stories have changed! Same deal, links to pics on the profile by the 'morrow! Now, read on!**

**Oh, BTW:**

**********= flashback start/end**

**-= switch POV**

…**= Time lapse**

**Disclaimer: Is this really necessary?**

_7 years later_

_September 12, 2001 _

_Number 16 Piney Place, front living room_

Sirius Black laughed his bark of a laugh. His young cousin was playing with the gift he had gotten her for her eighth birthday. It was a small black kitten with fur that resembled fuzz, and wide blue eyes. He had thought the cat perfect, and had been correct.

Vanessa, laid out on her stomach, giggled as the kitten touched a paw to her nose. The kitten jumped and pranced in a circle before cuddling up to her. She loved the little thing, and thought it was the best gift ever.

Although he was happy that Vanessa was happy, there was also one part of this day that Sirius was dreading. The Malfoy's would more than likely Floo before the day was over.

Even though everyone knew Lucius, Bellatrix, and Rudolphus had been Death Eaters, they had somehow escaped Azkaban. And since Sirius didn't adopt the Malfoy family's method of 'isolated parenting', they inevitably found out whom Vanessa was living with. Since then, they had been highly persistent in trying to see Vanessa.

It had started around the time Vanessa turned three. Lucius, who had managed to weasel his way into a high managing position in the ministry (Sirius _knew_ that there had been major dollar signs behind his position), had found Sirius one afternoon and stated that he and his wife desired to see their niece. That hadn't been very well received at all.

He continued to hound Sirius, and eventually resorted to Flooing him at home, and threatening to involve the law. Because he knew that it would be a shaky case, Sirius conceded to let Narcissa and Lucius meet Vanessa in Diagon Alley.

That also hadn't gone well.

_***********Flashback*****************************************************************_

_Sirius got Vanessa up and dressed, knowing full well to bypass the color pink, lest she throw a temper tantrum. She was a very opinionated 3 year old, and Merlin forbid she be dressed in pink._

_He managed to get her up and fed, and around noon they headed toward the fireplace to go to Diagon Alley. They arrived at Florish and Blotts, and Sirius took Vanessa to the children's section._

"_Books, Siri, books!" she squealed happily. She couldn't quite read, but she liked the pictures and could identify a few small words. He saw her run up to a book on animals, and laugh while pointing to the picture of a panther on the front._

"_Me, Siri, me me me!" she giggled, and proceeded suddenly a small, black, Panther cub with blue eyes was looking up at him, where moment ago his cousin had stood. He picked her up and smiled._

"_Okay little cat, time to become a person again." He said, grinning as she pawed at his long hair._

"_I'm a kitty!" Vanessa exclaimed, once back in her human form._

"_Yes, yes little cat. Now, remember, I told you we had people we have to go see. We best go now" he said, walking towards the exit._

"_Siri, books!" the little girl whined indignantly. Sirius knew he should cherish this age. He shuddered to think that in about ten years, her interests would shift from books to boys!_

_To any passerby, Sirius looked like a man simply walking with his daughter in his arms. Vanessa was prone to keeping her hair black, and many assumed she looked like her mother, which was true. He kept Vanessa in his arms until they reached __Florean__ Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, at which point he was forced to put her down due to her over excitement. Sirius looked at his watch. He and Vanessa were early._

"_Siri, get some gooey?" the little girl asked, looking up at her cousin. Gooey was what Vanessa called Ice Cream, mainly because the first time she had it, Lily had said 'don't get too gooey'. Since then, she had referred to it as such._

"_Sure little one. Let's go get some chocolate gooey."_

_About twenty minutes later, when the witches in the shop had finished fawning over the little girl, Sirius took her outside to sit at a table._

_The first one he saw was Lucius, for he was the tallest, and leading the pack. Right behind him, Narcissa held Draco's hand and led him along. While Sirius felt tense about the situation, Vanessa completely ignored everyone, content to eat her ice cream._

_Narcissa took one look at the little girl and felt slightly overwhelmed, not that she would ever show it. The child looked so much like her younger sister. It was rather astounding. _

_Vanessa, who at this point had decided her hair should match the color of her ice cream, looked up and smiled directly at Narcissa. She offered up the ice cream cone._

"_Want some gooey?" she said with a sweet grin. Narcissa smiled back, and politely shook her head, however, Lucius sneered._

"_What, Black, can't even teach the child the proper names for things?" he jeered._

_Vanessa quickly whipped her small head to Lucius, her face set in a scowl._

"_Don't be mean to Siri. Siri nice. Siri get me gooey. You mean. I don't like you!" she exclaimed. Vanessa then proceeded to throw the rest of her ice cream cone at Lucius' head, with amazing accuracy, prompting both Draco, who had remained hidden behind his mother's legs, and Sirius to burst into uncontrollable laughter._

_*****************End Flashback*******************************************************_

Sirius smiled. He loved that even at the age of 3, his Ness had known that Lucius was a right prat.

Vanessa looked up at Sirius.

"Sirius, I don't have to deal with Malfoy's one and two today do I? I wanted to go to the bookstore and get some new books" she said, looking exasperated without even having spoken to them yet.

"Well, love, we don't know for sure. So, there is absolutely nothing at all keeping us from going to your shop. However, I would like to see if Harry would like to come with us. So, I'm going to leave you with Kitter for a bit, and then when I get back we'll leave" Sirius replied, delighted that his cousin shared his view on the Malfoy clan.

"M'kay Siri. Just make sure that Harry remembers his broom! He broke my spare the last time he was here!"

Sirius called his most trusted house elf, Kitter, who had looked after Vanessa since he brought her home from Malfoy Manor. Sirius remembered that day well. He also remembered the day it was decided that Vanessa would live with him. He also learned much more that day.

_***********************Flashback*****************************************************_

_Sirius and James sat together on the couch, watching as Harry and Vanessa played on the rug in front of the fire. Several times already, they had had to jump up and run over, as Vanessa was prone to crawling towards the fire and trying to touch it._ _They knew she was going to make them go prematurely gray, while she simply knew she was having fun._

_Lily entered the room, smiling as always. She walked over and bent down, kissing James on the head._

"_So, any more close calls?" she asked, chuckling. While Sirius and James had nearly had a heart attack almost any time Vanessa moved, Lily thought she was greatly entertaining. Harry had taken to her rather quickly. Lily was rather curious as to why the child was so entrancing, but kept her thoughts to herself for the time being._

"_No, luckily, the little munchkin decided to give us a small break" James responded._

"_Now, it is time to discuss the difficult part," Lily said "Who is Vanessa going to live with. She obviously can't live with her mother's family, and James, your parents can't handle a small child living with them. So it's either got to be us or Sirius."_

_The room was quite for a moment while everyone mulled it over._

"_She should live with me" Sirius said finally. _

"_Are you sure Padfoot? Having a kid is tough business. And if today is any indication, she's gong to be a livewire. So, you have to be certain" James said seriously._

"_I know Prongs. 'Sides, you and Lils already are raising little Prongs, so it would probably be best if I took the small one. And you're to nice to raise a girl. What are you going to do when boys start sniffing around? No, it would be best if I take her" Sirius ended with a smile._

"_Hmmm…..this is true. She is definitely going to be exceptionally difficult to protect, I'll tell you that much. She's going to have a special advantage over all the boys" James said with a grin._

"_And why's that Prongs?" Sirius asked, looking confused. Sure, the little girl was pretty, but he was already prepared to deal with that. _

"_I never told you this, but Jeremy has a different father than I. My mother and father went through a separation when she was heavily pregnant with me. My father had an affair with a woman and sired this little one's father, " James said, picking up Vanessa "He brought the child home with him. I was apparently a little less than a year. The woman he had an affair with was a Veela. This makes little Nessa part Veela. Good luck to you Padfoot."_

_*********************End Flashback***************************************************_

Oh, no, Sirius was NOT looking forward to when his sweet little Nessa cultivated an interest in boys. He would surely end up in Azkaban for killing one of the little weasels for looking at her too long or something of the like. It would definitely be an interesting experience.

Nessa was excited; for it wasn't every day that one turned 8! And she was also so very happy the cousin Harry was going to come over too! Usually, he couldn't come to her birthday because of those wretched muggles he lived with.

Shea was also happy because it was half way through her birthday and those pesky Malfoy's had yet to bother her. This was the first time in _ages_ she had had a nice, peaceful birthday. She didn't really like the Malfoy's.

Well, Draco wasn't that bad. But she would never tell him that. And she didn't mind Narcissa all _that_ much, but that tall blonde guy really got on her nerves.

_He's a weeny_, she thought, right as Kitter walked into the room, although flutter was really a much better way to describe the action. Kitter was a house elf of middle age, a very motherly type who had all but adopted Nessa as her own when she first came to live with Sirius. She even came with them when Sirius was transferred for a few years to the US.

Nessa remembered their time in the States well. That's where they had met Lilith

******************************_Flashback_********************************************

_Nessa looked around at the new house. She liked new things, and this was no exception. Her four-year-old legs carried her up the hardwood stairs and down the first corridor they brought her to. _

_She kept running until she found a room she deemed worthy of being called hers. They decorated it, or more like Sirius hired a designer to design it, with Nessa telling her what colors to use._

_Lilith DeMonte was a very pretty young woman of 23 years, and French descent, who took to Nessa almost instantly. Nessa, who Sirius felt was a rather good judge of character, also took to Lilith rather well. Lilith had sandy brown hair and beautiful dark eyes that were capable of staring straight into your soul. _

_So it was no surprise that Sirius had set his sights on the young designer. But that wasn't what Nessa remembered about the States. She remembered the beautiful room Lilith had supplied her with._

_It had a beautiful twin bed with a green bed spread with pink polka dots. Nessa didn't even mind that there was some pink! There was a chandelier that looked like flowers growing up a vine and yellow walls that were very happy. Part of one wall had shelves with brown baskets that held all of her toys, while the rest was occupied by a white dresser and a window framed by green curtains._

_But Nessa's favorite part was the mural on one of the walls. It had a little girl playing with a bunny and pretty flowers and trees. It made Nessa feel like she was in one of her storybooks._

_Nessa liked her school. Sirius had decided to send her to a muggle primary school, and all of the children found her accent amusing. She was smaller than the rest of the children, probably because Sirius had enrolled her a year early. Years later Nessa would wonder how he pulled that off. _

_A few years later, not long after her seventh birthday, Nessa would be sad to have to return to London._

_But she was happy that Lilith was returning with them._

***********************************_End Flashback_***********************************

Nessa couldn't wait. Lilith was supposed to be home 2 days later. She had made a brief trip to France to check on some family she had there still whom she was worried about.

When she had to return to the states, Nessa hadn't wanted to leave the beautiful room that Lilith had created her. Lilith had a simple solution. She simply created the exact same room in Sirius' London townhouse.

Sirius walked back into the room, Harry in tow.

"Happy Birthday Nessa!" he yelled excitedly.

"Harry! Did Padfoot tell you? We're going to Diagon Alley!" Nessa responded just as excited.

…4 hours later(around 3pm)…

Ten stores later, Sirius finally convinced both children that a break was a good idea. However, that agreement naturally came with a price.

Ice Cream.

He walked out of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor holding one Rainbow Sherbet and one Chocolate ice cream, which Nessa had long since stopped calling gooey. He saw the two children, who looked like they could be siblings, sitting at a round table, trading chocolate frog cards and laughing. Sirius was happy that the two children, who had both been through so much in life, could find solace in each other.

Then, as he was walking towards the table, he could sense trouble on the horizon. He looked away from Nessa, who had turned her hair from short, straight brown to long and curly and black, and saw those who he wished to avoid most: The Malfoys, roughly two shops down.

Lucius, as always, led the pack, with Narcissa on his arm, and young Draco right behind them. Not far behind them were Bellatrix and Rudolphus, the former sneering as she caught a glimpse of her cousin.

Sirius placed the children's treat in front of them, and was rewarded with two adorable smiles.

"Thanks Padfoot" Harry said with a grin, reminding Sirius so very much of James.

"Yeah, thanks Siri" Nessa giggled, playing with the little enchanted mouse she had gotten for her kitten. She had decided to wait for Lilith to come home before she named it.

Just as she thanked him, the Malfoys and LeStranges reached the table. While the three other adults sneered at Sirius, Narcissa fixed a smile on Nessa, while Draco looked at the ice cream jealously.

"Hello Vanessa. Happy birthday" Narcissa said, reminding Nessa of those women who used to be nice to her because they liked Sirius a lot.

"Thank you" she replied quietly, feeling rather awkward. Draco had moved on from looking at the ice cream, to glaring at Harry. Those two never _had_ gotten along.

"Draco, let's go inside and get you some ice cream. We'll let your mother and Aunt Bella visit with your cousin" Lucius said, maintaining the sneer, while still maintaining a slightly bored tone.

Nessa looked desperately to Sirius to save her. He looked down apologetically at her. There was no way to save the poor kid.

"So Vanessa, are you going to have a birthday party?" Narcissa asked the little girl, still smiling.

Nessa made a face.

"Nuh-uh" she said, shaking her head, "I don't like having parties on my birthday. Then I have to invite the kids of the ministry people. I really don't like those kids. I'm happy spending the day with Siri and Harry" she finished with a smile up at her cousin.

Bellatrix scoffed.

"I bet you're sending her to a school with filthy muggles and everything aren't you, Black?" she said with a sneer.

"Hey! I like my school" Nessa replied indignantly.

At this moment, Draco and Lucius returned, Draco now placated due to the mint ice-cream cone in his hand.

"So are they coming to the party mother?" he asked, glancing at his cousin.

"Ah, yes, that reminds me. Black, this year we, being Narcissa and I, have been granted the honor of hosting the Ministry's annual ball. You will be receiving your invitation via owl rather soon, but should we take it you will be attending?" Lucius said in his usual smug tone.

Sirius knew that, due to his position within the ministry, he had no choice.

"Of course Malfoy. I will be attending, along with my fiancée Lilith DeMonte" he replied stiffly.

"An of course, you must bring Vanessa with you" Narcissa said with a sly smile.

"Of course."

….2 hours later…

"But Siri, do I have too?" Nessa whined. She was disappointed that the Malfoys had ruined her mood on her birthday.

"Sorry honey, but you have to. But, look at it this way, at least Ginny will be there" Sirius said with false cheer.

"Yeah, but I bet Vivian and Elenora will be there too" she said with disgust.

At that moment, they heard the front door close.

"Bonjour my loves" Lilith greeted them with a smile.

**Okay, so that's it for this chapter. It was mainly so you can get the info that I felt would be filler chapters. You've(kind of) met Lilith, and you've seen what has happened with the LeStranges and the Malfoys(so far). Another update shall arrive ASAP!**

**Until then!**

**Oh-Look-A-Quarter**


	4. Dresses and Scissors and Dancing, Oh My!

**So, here's how the ball turned out. You will get to know Lilith a bit more, and find out who a few characters mentioned before are. This will more than likely be the last pre-Hogwarts chapter that isn't an outtake. **

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor shall I ever own, Neville Longbottom, even though I wish I did , 'cause he got REALLY hot in the last few movies.**

Vanessa jumped out of her seat, a wide smile taking over her face. She absolutely loved Lilith. Even though she loved her parents, she considered Lilith and Sirius her mom and dad.

"Lil! You're home! You said you weren't going to be back until the day after tomorrow! But you're here for my birthday" she exclaimed happily.

Lilith knelt down and smiled again, kissing the little girl on the cheek.

"Ah, my love, you know I would never miss your birthday. I told Fleur and Gabrielle that they would simply have to wait until I could wish my little Nessa a happy birthday. Now, ma petite, were your uncle and cousin good to you today?" Lilith replied, only a slight French accent still noticeable.

"Oh, yes, we went and got ice cream! And Siri got me a kitten! But I need your help naming it Lil! And we saw those rotten Malfoy's at the ice cream parlor! They ruin absolutely everything Lil" Nessa replied, still ecstatic that one of her favorite people in the world was home.

"Ah, so where is this little kitten you spoke of?" Lilith asked. As Nessa ran to retrieve her new pet, Lilith took advantage to bid hello to her fiancee.

"Hello Mi Amor. I take it you were able to handle her yourself for a few days?" she said, kissing him gently. Sirius smiled at her.

"Welcome home love. And of course, I handled her perfectly fine for four years before we were lucky enough to have found you, dear. One week would hardly kill us. Although, we are both very happy that you are home. And great idea, the kitten, as you can tell, the idea was a smashing hit" he replied with a gentle grin.

"Look, here she is! Isn't she so cute Lil? I wanted to name her friendly, but it seemed a little strange for a kitten to be named friendly..." Nessa rushed back into the room, the kitten cradled in her arms.

"Well then, how about we call her Amicale? It means friendly in French" Lilith smiled down on the little girl.

"Perfect! I knew you would know exactly what to call her Lil" Nessa said, all smiles.

"Now my love, how about you go get washed up for dinner, and we can talk about what we are going to do this weekend" Lilith said, running a hand through Nessa's hair.

"Now, Lilith, I know you share my feelings on the Malfoys-" Sirius started.

"Oh, those wretched people! If I had my way, I would wipe any proof of their existence from this Earth! What have those horrible people done now?" she responded, her temper firing up quickly.

"Well, my love, they are hosting the Ministry's formal ball this year. As you know, I have no choice but to go. However, they also want me to bring Nessa. Now, Nessa doesn't want to go, but if I don't bring her, they may start stirring up trouble again. Usually, I'm all for trouble, but after what happened last time, I really don't want to push them, especially not now. So, I need you to find dresses for both of you, and, if at all possible, try and get Nessa excited, or at least less angry, about the party" Sirius replied.

"Oi, well, my love, I shall have no problem finding the dresses. We shall go to my seamstress tomorrow. However, the hard part will be getting Nessa happy. But, I shall try."

Nessa walked back in, and the small family went to have dinner together.

...The Next Day...

Nessa and Lilith entered Madame Rivaldi's around two o'clock the next afternoon, Lilith knew she had to tread carefully when it came to dressing Nessa. Nessa didn't like dressing up, and the ministry ball was always a formal affair. However, the two also had the misfortune of entering the shop not long before Narcissa and Bellatrix.

It was only natural, as Madame Rivaldi was known to cater only to pureblood clientele, even though that wasn't why Lilith chose her shop.

Nessa walked around, looking at the children's dresses, while Lilith was trying on dresses. She dismissed the purple dresses, and sneered outright at the pink dresses. However, upon finding a selection of red dresses, her dispair lessened.

As she was finally starting to accept the idea of a ball and dresses and the dreaded ministry children, in walked the two women she disliked the most in the world.

"Ah, Madame Malfoy, Madame LeStrange! Good afternoon! How may I help you today?" Madame Rivaldi asked the two women.

"Ah, yes, Louisa, we need gowns for the ministry ball. The same colors as always, you know, traditional. And, we need to order a dress for our niece. Sirius said he would have it taken care of, but I bet that little tramp of his will have Vanessa dressed horribly" Narcissa responded, not noticing that the niece she spoke of was right behind her.

"Yes, Sirius' nasty little mudblood bride to be. And even worse that he is exposing Vanessa to such filth. Although, we knew this was coming from the time he took her" Bellatrix chimed in.

"Good afternoon Misses LeStrange, Misses Malfoy. Oh, Misses LeStrange, I ask that you watch your language around Nessa. She should not have to hear such words" Lilith said with a cold smile, coming to show Nessa her dress. Narcissa and Bellatrix both looked amazed.

"Now, Nessa love, what do you think of this one? I think Siri will be happy with a red bow tie. How about you?" she asked.

Lilith was wearing a beautiful, strapless, rose red, floor length ball gown that fitted her upper body, before flaring out into pleats right above her knees. It had clusters of small silver beads along the sweetheart neckline and right at her waist, making it look like a belt.

Nessa thought it was wonderful.

"You look like a princess Lil! It's so wonderful! Even if Siri didn't want to wear a red bow tie, we'll make him! That dress is so pretty! I hope I look like you when I get big" Nessa exclaimed happily, not even noticing that her two aunts were in the shop as well.

"Why, hello there Vanessa. How are you?" Narcissa asked the little girl with the same fke smile Nessa hated.

"I'm fine thank you Misses Malfoy" she responded. She may have been raised by Sirius, but she still knew her manners.

"Dear, I've told you to call me Aunt Cissa. Now, are you excited for the party? Have you found a pretty dress you like?" Narcissa asked, still trying to get her niece to like her more than Lilith.

"I'm not particularly excited Misses Malfoy," Nessa said, deciding to be honest, "I don't enjoy dressing up myself. But I love watching Lil dress up. She always looks as pretty as a princess. And Siri is her handsome prince." Nessa smiled up at Lilith.

"Well, I'm sure you'll look just as pretty the night of the party" Narcissa said, slightly miffed at her niece's obvious rebuff. Bellatrix was more absorbed in finding her own dress than matters concerning her niece.

"Now, my love, we still need to find your dress. I know you don't like dressing up, but we'll find something just perfect for you." Lilith said, running a hand through Nessa's hair in a slightly possessive manner. Just because she was better than Narcissa and Bellatrix did not mean that she was above the occasional low-blow.

"Ugh, fine. But Lil, I don't wanna wear any stupid frills and stuff. And can I get a dress like yours?" Nessa asked excitedly.

"Definitely ma petite. Did you see any that you liked? " Lilith looked at Narcissa out of the corner of her eye, gauging her reaction.

"Lil, a dress is still a dress. And no matter what, I'm still gonna have to wear it" Nessa said, rolling her eyes for dramatic effect. Lilith had to stifle her laughter.

"Oh, Miss DeMonte, you don't have to worry about purchasing Vanessa a dress, Bellatrix and I took it upon ourselves to select one for her" Narcissa said with an icy smile, handing the now wrapped box to Nessa.

"Why, thank you Misses Malfoy. We look forward to seeing it" Lilith replied equally cold, nudging Nessa to remind her of her manners.

"Thank you Misses Malfoy" she said quietly, disappointed, as she knew Narcissa was highly unlikely to dress her like Lilith.

...A Few Days Later...

"Ladies, if we want to go to dinner before the torture, we need to leave soon!" Sirius yelled up the stairs, waiting to hear Nessa's giggle. No such sound came. He started up the stairs and knocked on her door, not waiting for an answer. He found the little girl standing in front of a mirror, a glare on her face.

"They've gone to far this time Siri" was all he heard before she screamed. Nessa was wearing a pink dress with a purple sash that Sirius knew she never would have picked for herself, and that Lilith never would have made her wear. He assumed that this was the dress Lilith had told him about when they returned a few days before.

Nessa marched down out of her room and stormed down the stairs to the kitchen, with Sirius and now Lilith on her tail, and found a pair of butcher's scissors. Sirius and Lilith both watched in amusement at what came next. Nessa took the scissors and cut the dress to shreds, making it impossible to wear to the gala.

"There," she said happily, "Now we don't have to go. Can we have pizza?"

Lilith laughed.

"Oh, my sweet love," she said, touching her hand to Nessa's cheek, "I was prepared for this. I knew those women would pick out something you hated. There is another dress waiting for you upstairs in my closet."

Nessa looked slightly miffed, and went to change. Lilith just kept laughing as Sirius wrapped her in a strong embrace.

"Have I mentioned how much I love you in red?"

...About 15 Minutes Later...

Nessa walked back into the kitchen to find two laughing adults. She now had a large smile on her face.

She was now clad in a red dress that had sparkles on the top, similar to Lilith's, and a red sash decorated on the hip with a star. Nessa was ecstatic, because it was as close as she could possible get to Lilith's dress.

"I love it Lil!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Come here, you, and let me fix your hair" Lilith said, noticing the girls tangled black locks.

She used her wand to smooth out Nessa's hair, and then to make it hang perfectly, except for two braids wrapping around the back of her head.

After straightening out the disheveled eight year old, the small family left for Malfoy Manor. They apparaeted directly into a hallway adjoining a large ballroom. Sirius relieved Nessa and Lilith of their coats and, after the traditional fanfare of arrival, lead his favorite girls into the large, brightly lit ballroom. Windows lined the two side walls, with french doors added in at about three different spots along the wall, all leading to the two terraces.

Immediately the vultures descended.

Even Lilith had to admit that Bellatrix LeStrange had and elegant, albeit evil, beauty to her. Her years as what one could have called the magical version of a debutante paid off in the glide of her walk, and effortless grace.

She had her dark hair piled on top of the crown of her head. The top of her dress was green, with a beautiful black swirly design, and belted tightly at the waist. The skirt flared out at the top of the hips in a princess style fitting her demeanor. Was Bellatrix evil, and insane? Oh, most definitely, but one could not deny one fact about her: she had style.

Narcissa Malfoy, although every bit the socialite, was a stark contrast to her sister. She was also beautiful, but had opted to secure only a portion of her long, pale blonde hair at the crown of her head, letting the rest tumble freely. Her hunter-green dress was also fitted to the hips, but had diamonds, which Lilith highly suspected were real, glittering in their intricate design, and led to several layers of silk, draped elegantly on the full skirt.

Oh, yes, the former sisters Black had an abundance of style.

Narcissa and Bellatrix upon noticing that their niece had arrived, made a beeline for the corner they were standing in, their husbands bringing up the rear.

"Black" Lucius greeted Sirius with his signature sneer, and afforded Lilith merely a nod of greeting.

"Malfoy" Sirius said in a clipped tone.

"Hello Vanessa" Narcissa said with a smile to the little girl. However, Nessa was more fixated on Narcissa's dress.

"Did you like the dress we picked for you?" Narcissa asked, noticing that she was wearing a different dress.

"It had an unfortunate accident" Nessa responded, quoting what Lilith told Sirius when she 'accidentally' broke one of his hideous lamps from his bachelor days.

"Oh, well, accidents happen. What do you think of the party so far? Have you seen any dresses you like, or run into any friends?"

"I have a question," Nessa said, looking up at Lilith and Sirius, "Does her dress remind you of a wedding cake too?"

Looks of shock crossed the face of all six adults. Nessa continued.

"Although, it is a very pretty dress. I just think the bottom reminds me of the cake that Tonks showed me in the magazine."

Sirius could no longer stifle his laughter.

"Nessa, love, I think I just saw Misses Weasley and Ginny, why don't you go play?"

...5 Minutes Later...

Nessa ran up to her friend, admiring the girl's purple dress. It had sparkles like hers, but instead of a sash, it had fabric wrapped around her chest. Her flaming red waves were half up in a bun, and half free.

"Hiya Ginny Bean!" she exclaimed happily.

"Hey Loch Nessa Monster!" Ginny replied with equal enthusiasm.

"Hello Misses Wesley" Nessa said, smiling up sweetly at her second favorite woman in the world, after Lilith of course.

"Hello Nessa. May I ask where your Uncle and soon-to-be Aunt are?" Misses Weasley always had an amused smirk for Nessa, whose energetic antics had now started to rub off on Ginny.

"They're over by the window with Malfoys one and two. And the LeStranges. Misses Weasley, they really creep me out. Especially Misses LeStrange, I don't think she's all there in the head" Nessa ended seriously, a concerned look on her face. Misses Weasley just laughed and shook her head. The little girl had really taken to quoting Lilith.

"Why don't you girls go play, and I'm going to go over to greet your Aunt and Uncle."

Nessa grabbed Ginny's hand and the two girls ran across the room to a set of french doors, eager to go out on the terrace and look at the stars. However, they hadn't expected to run into their friend, Neville.

"Hey Nev! Wanna come look at the stars with us?" Nessa greeted him excitedly. Neville smiled.

"Hey Loch Nessa Monster. Be careful, Malfoy junior was talking about heading out here, and I don't think any of us want t deal with him tonight" he responded.

As if he mentioning his name summoned him, Draco appeared at the doors, flanked on either side by Crabbe and Goyle, both of whom were already busy stuffing their faces. Nessa scrunched her face up in disgust.

"Hello Vanessa" Draco greeted her with the arrogant smirk he had inherited from his father.

"Draco" she said politely, before returning her undivided attention to her friends.

"You know, you really shouldn't associate with blood traitors. They are below us" Draco said arrogantly. This statement did not sit well with Nessa.

"How dare you Draco Scorpius Malfoy! Ginny and Neville are my friends, and better people than you will EVER BE!" Nessa punctuated that statement powerfully, even though it was by accident.

And that was the first time Draco Malfoy was turned into a ferret.

While three of the children laughed uncontrollably, Crabbe and Goyle panicked, trying to figure out what to do. As this ensued, Alice Longbottom walked out, looking for her son. She was happy to find him enjoying himself with his friends.

"Hello Nessa, Ginny. How are you girls? " she asked the giggling girls.

"We're good" Ginny replied in between giggles.

"Well, would you like to clue me in as to what is so funny?" Alice asked with a gentle smile.

"Draco," was the only reply she got, the children all pointing to the ferret.

"Oh, my, you don't mean-" Alice started, "Oh, dear."

She whipped out her wand and switched Draco back, only now he was quite fazed, and ran off to find his parents without thanking Alice, Crabbe and Goyle trailing after him.

The three children finally calmed down, and Alice even indulged herself in a small chuckle.

"Well, you three should know that dinner is going to be served soon. Don't worry Neville, dear, I won't make you eat it" Alice informed them. The snobby food the Malfoy's always served as the reason that Sirius had taken them out to dinner beforehand.

As Alice walked back in, two more figures walked back out. Nessa's heart filled with dread as she recognized the sound of the giggles floating towards her. It was Vivian Nott and Elenora Xavier. Nessa and Ginny couldn't stand the two future death eaters.

"Hello Vanessa," Elenora greeted her with a fake smile. She was wearing a dress reminiscent of Narcissa's own dress. Only this one was Ivy green, and had a sash that tied into a bow in front, and didn't have sparkles. The girl's brown hair was held in fancy pigtails on top of her head.

Next to Elenora was her best friend. Vivian was the meaner of the two. She wore a dress that made Nessa think of peaches because of the colors. Her dress did have sparkles, and the fabric draped over her skirt was what Lilith always described as 'sheer', and no sash. Her hair, also brown, was flowing loosely down her back. She smiled snobbishly at Nessa.

"Yes, hello Vanessa."

"'llo Vivian, Elenora. I've got to be going now" Nessa responded, grabbing both Ginny and Neville by the arm and pulling them along with her, back into the ball room.

The three kids ran over to where their parents, or Aunt and Uncle in Nessa's case, were sitting and conversing.

"Hey Ness. You look like you were just told you have to wear dresses every day" Sirius laughed at his niece.

"Ech, worse Siri. Vivian and Elenora. Disgusting!"

Sirius and the other adults laughed. Nessa was such a flamboyant little girl, highly outspoken and rather opinionated, and did not hesitate to share those opinions with anyone.

The next few hours passed with relative ease. Sirius alternated between spinning around the dance floor with Lilith, and dancing with Nessa on his feet.

The evening ended with Lilith and Sirius walking out, a sleeping Nessa in Sirius' arms.

**And there you go! I would like to state that this is the longest chapter I have EVER written for ANY story, weighing in at 8 pages and 3,216 words. **

**Can't gaurentee when the next update will be, but with AtlantisxGurl on my tail, it will probably be soon enough!**

**Thats all for now!**

**Oh-Look-A-Quarter!**


	5. Meeting Oscar

_Just Shy of 3 years later_

Ten year old Nessa was feeling victorious, and a bit smug as well. Even though she was ten, she was to be allowed to attend Hogwarts. Certainly, her birthday was less than two weeks after term started, but she felt happy none the less.

She was sad to be leaving Sirius and Lil behind, but she also was a bit relieved. The two had just recently been married. In all, it had taken around 2 years for them to plan and execute the wedding. Nessa had enjoyed herself. She didn't even mind that she had to wear a dress.

She smiled. Lil had looked so beautiful, and cousin Dora was so funny. She changed her appearance constantly to amuse the little girl, and encouraged Nessa to do the same. Nessa had loved her aunt Andromeda, and had started visiting her rather often.

Lilith walked into the room.

"Almost ready to go, my love? We must pick up your cousin as well before we go" she said. The two were headed to Diagon Alley. They needed to get all of Nessa and Harry's supplies for school, and Sirius had even hinted that they could each get an owl.

"Sure am Lil, lets go, lets go! Maybe we can beat Sirius to the Quidditch store this time!" Nessa and Sirius were both very competitive, therefore everything was either a race or a competition. Harry also had a habit of siding with Nessa, the two creating a vicious tag team.

Lilith and Vanessa put on their jackets, and stepped into the floo. After retrieving Harry from those horrid muggles, and allowing Nessa to have some fun with Dudley, the three made their way to Florish and Blotts.

Upon arriving, they promptly dusted themselves off, and found Sirius at the front of the store.

"Well, there's my favorite Niece and Godson!" he exclaimed, fresh from the ministry.

Nessa ran up to hug him.

"Where are we goin' first, Siri?" she asked excitedly. Sirius grinned down at her, excited at her excitement.

"Well, I say we get your wands first, what do you think?"

Lilith and Sirius dropped the two kids at Olivanders, told them to stay together, and informed them that they would be in the Apothecary when they finished. They walked in, a bell tinkling softly as the door closed.

"Ah, Mister and Miss Potter. I figured I would be seeing you two soon."

(I'm to lazy to type the whole thing out, so assume Harry's wand selection is the same as in the book, just with Nessa watching anxiously.)

Harry looked excited, and pocketed his wand, hand resting on the handle. Vanessa was excited to get her own wand.

"Well Miss Potter, shall we?" Olivander asked with a smile, holding out a box for her. She grabbed the box and took out the wand.

"Maple and Dragon heartstring, 11 inches, nice and swishy" he said. A moment later, his vase on the counter shattered.

"Maybe not," he said, "Here, Hawthorn and unicorn hair, 9 inches, reasonably supple."

This time, a window broke.

"Yew and owl feather(now I'm just making things up), 13 inches, flexible."

Boxes flew off the shelves.

"Horn wood and Mermaid hair, 11 inches, inflexible."

A burst of magic nearly hit Harry, who ducked in time for it to graze, and singe, his hair.

"Well," Olivander said bemused, "It looks as if I will be selling two unusual wands today."

He disappeared briefly into the back, and reappeared a moment later, holding a black box.

"Now, this wand has no twin. But, it has also never been properly matched. It was one of my more, let's say, experimental wands. Maple, 11 and a half inches, reasonably supple. However, the core is what set's it apart. It is the blood of a Nøkken, a creature of Norwegian folklore(this one is real), encased in Golden Beryl. It also, as you can see, has the Golden Beryl on the end. It is an excellent wand to prevent spells such as the Impirius curse, which works in the mind. It is the only wand of it's kind, as I said, and the only one I will ever make! That blood is hard to come by! "

Nessa took the wand out of the box, and the second the spiraled shaft touched her fingers, she felt a warm glow, like coming home after a long trip.

"Ah, well Miss Potter, it seems like your wand has chosen you" Olivander said with a smile.

The two children payed for their wands and ran off to find Sirius. They found him just as he was about to walk into Flouish and Blotts.

"Ah, so what was the verdict?" Sirius asked with a smile.

"Holly and Phoenix feather " Harry grinned.

Sirius nodded and looked at Nessa.

"Mine's kinda complex Siri. Maple and the blood of a Nøkken" she replied, still a little confused. They explained all the Olivander had told them, and Sirius just shook his head and smiled.

"Well, Ness, we all knew you were strange, why should your wand be any different?" he laughed. Nessa simply pouted.

They proceeded to work their way through the shops in Diagon Alley. Finally, they came to Eeylop's Owl Emporium.

"Well, I think that Hogwarts' two newest students need owls to celebrate the start of school" Sirius said, a grin on his face. Harry was elated, but Nessa was torn.

"But Siri, what about Amicale? We're only allowed one animal" she said, not keen on the idea of leaving her beloved feline friend.

"Don't worry Ness. We'll figure something else. Just trust me" he replied with a wink.

They strolled into the shop, Harry immediately spotting the Snowy Owl he wanted. He retrieved his new pet, as Nessa continued to explore the shop. Near the rear of the space however was where she found the fowl she knew had to be hers.

It was a small, baby owl, residing at the very bottom of a rather large cage. The mother, from her perch near the top, seemed to be sneering at it.

'_Owls can't sneer_,' thought Nessa '_But that one sure is_.'

An attendant walked over, curious as to what caught the adorable child's attention. She had seen the girl walk in, with Harry Potter no less!

When she saw the small bird, she shook her head with a sad smile.

"The little thing is lucky he was born here. If he had been born in the wild, he would probably already be dead" she said to Nessa.

"We'll probably have to move him out of the cage today if his mother keep it up."

That was the final straw.

Twenty minutes later, Sirius, Harry, and Nessa were back in Florish and Blotts, and flooed back to Sirius' townhouse. Harry had his owl, who he called Hedwig, in her cage, while in the pocket of Nessa's coat there was a small white baby spectacled owl.

"I think I'll call you Oscar."

_So, another chapter done. Next chapter, they head to Hogwarts. I am feeling the flow again for writing, but I won't promise when the next one is coming. I know it's short, but I'm trying here._

_Oh-Look-A-Quarter_


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